We bump into Bustan on our way to Jacob's pickle after church. I didn't want to wait in a looong line so .. and wow! this restaurant has very colorful cute garden! Food was fresh and good overall but a little oily. Sine we are Korean, we wanted to get some Kimchi afterall haha. Good for group of four or more! We ordered Hummus with Pita bread $7 : Hummus was a bit oily, bread was really good Sabich $11 (comes with salad of fries) : Very special kind of sandwich ever. (Turkish?), eggpland was too much roasted so the texture was like smashed banana. : Roasted eggplant, chopped salad, sliced hardboiled egg, nazareth tahini & pickled mango sauce with spice Turkish Shakshouka $14 : You feel like lack of protein? Get this! yummy but a little greasy. : Poached eggs with swiss chard, grounded lamb, nazareth tahini &sumac It seems like Lamb Terracotta is their signature menu but only serve for dinner. I would like to come back for the menu next time :) read more

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Incredible experience, all around and is consistently so every time...! If you want some of the best Mediterranean food in NYC, Bustan is your spot! The tastes are amazing, and you can tell the level of care that the Chef places into every dish... Great atmosphere, and great service! I've been here for brunch and dinner... cant go wrong with either! Highly recommend...! read more

We recently dined at Bustan and had a wonderful experience. We arrived on a Saturday night with no reservation, and the gentlemen at the front (Danny and Udi) could not have been more welcoming and gracious. Although the restaurant was packed, they figured out a way to accommodate us and sat us promptly. From appetizer to dessert, the food and service were impeccable. All the small plates were delicious and some of the standouts from the medium/large plates were: tuna crudo, eggplant carpaccio, chicken "musakhan", and a special that night of smoked trout. We live in the neighborhood and this is truly one of the top restaurants on the UWS. Looking forward to our next dining experience at Bustan! read more

Visited 2 weekends ago with a party of 3 and we were in the area. We didn't make a reservation had to wait for approx. 45 mins - 1 hour (we went to E's nearby for a drink while we waited). We sat out in the back with an open roof which was nice - it was a great day for it. We ordered: - Saganaki (so much cheese) - yum. but quite heavy - Lamb Teracotta - yum - Salmon Tartare - yum - Falafel Basket - this was alright, nothing too special - A dessert - can't remember what We probably could've ordered one dish less... it was a lot of food. Taste: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 Value for Money: 3/5 Would I come again: Yes read more

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We had dinner here this weekend and everything we tried was fantastic! I ordered the schnitzel, which seemed out of place on the menu, and it was perfect. The mashed potatoes were also very good. My wife had the Moroccan Fish. The presentation of the dish was neat and taste was even better. We will definitely go again! read more

My party and I were looking for a nice evening at this restaurant--we called ahead in advance and were told that although they didn't take reservations, they would be happy to have us and encouraged us to come. Upon arrival, we learned that 1) they did take reservations and 2) were rudely dismissed by the host, who upon being told the above, chuckled and said "I don't think so." We were disappointed in our experience--the staff should not set unreasonable expectations as we planned our night around this. read more

felt like I entered a dysfunctional family dinner. horrible energy from the host/Sunday manager. it was a struggle to get anyones attention. had to ask for the same things maybe 2-4 x. the main dishes came out for everyone at wildly different times. again, felt like i was eating at someone's home but they didn't like me and wanted me to leave --- yikes!! will never return although the food tasted fine. read more

I've been here before on multiple occasions and loved it! So I decided to book a table for a special occasion with some visiting family. Upon arrival, I noticed the menu was slightly different and was then informed that the chef has changed. Intrigued to try the new menu, we order some of my usual fare alongside some of the new items - three appetizers and one entree to share. Appetizers: Mezzatim with 2 dishes (hummus and the spicy feta), Eggplant Carpaccio, Falafel basket. Entree: Vegetable Terracotta. The Eggplant Carpaccio has replaced the Babaganoush on the Mezzatim menu, and for the price, is way less value for money and definitely not as good. The Falafel basket was good, but one of the sauces (peach / mango?) was an odd pairing and left pretty untouched. Thankfully the Hummus and Spicy Feta dip a highlight. We received the starters pretty quickly (~10 minutes) and devoured in within a similar time. It definitely left a bit to be desired, so we hoped that the entree would satiate the three of us. Sadly, 30 minutes later, it still hadn't arrived, even with the waiter, who was nice enough, checking on it and guaranteeing us that it would be "ready soon - within a couple of minutes". After waiting another 20 minutes (totaling 50 minutes waiting), we decided to cancel the order and get the check as we were fed up with waiting. While the waiter was apologetic, the manager was nowhere to be seen or heard from, and there was no attempt to compensate us for the wait, which is odd for a place of this stature. While this was a one-off experience at the restaurant, it was extremely disappointing. We were celebrating a literal once-in-a-lifetime event (a graduation) and it was such a low point to end a day, which was otherwise fantastic. Sad to see one of my favorite restaurants in the UWS let me down so much. I hope others don't receive the same service quality we did, and that it comes back to its former glory soon. read more

fabulous dinner! Food was superb, and service was outstanding.

Beet salad is good, you must order the bread and the Moroccan fish that comes in the bread dome.

I brought my inlaws here for brunch based on Yelp reviews. The bread was probably the best part of the meal, and we devoured it, along with some equally delicious hummus and spicy feta (definitely a fan of the spicy feta). My mother in law was the only member of our group who ended up being somewhat satisfied with her meal- two of us ordered shakshouka, which I found to be tasteless and my father in law found to be "runny." My husband ordered a pita that he found to be tasteless and his brother had the same review. Not much flavor. To their credit, the manager noticed that we were not enjoying our meals and came over to ask how we were doing. After some honest discussion, he refunded us the amount for the shakshoukas and also gave us dessert on the house. In short, very hospitable, but not the tastiest food read more

The bread, and small dipping dishes (hummus, spicy feta, tzatziki, baba ganoush) is the best. The spicy feta was the best that I've ever had. The bread is warm and fresh, so good that you don't like to share it with anybody. Their Nutella hot chocolate is very delicious, and I really enjoyed it. The staff is super nice and very helpful, they don't rush you to empty their table. Their cocktail menu is very tempting and they have a variety of different cocktails that you can choose from. The only downfall is the food. the food is meh at the best. I had Turkish Shakshuka. I think the meat was overcooked and dry, the egg on the top was overcooked as well. The sauce was sort of bland, and could be much better i believe. read more

Excellent food, vibe and price. Will definitely return! Host was very accommodating and even the chef came to say hi:) we were a group of 6 and we all loved it. read more

This is the place we've gone multiple times and always loved it. This time it seems there's a change of ownership or a new manager I'm not sure. Danny was very disappointing in terms of service and response to basic needs from us. The dirty dishes sat on our table through most of the meal and when we asked why they said they're shorthanded and he had given us too much attention to begin with and he had only 2 Servers and he needed to take care of other customers. They did ask us up for a commitment of 10 people which we agreed to for us to double birthday celebration. Twice they messed up our order and only ordered half the quantity. Only one birthday bot got the cake and candle...the other one they forgot with no apologies. we have always recommended this restaurant to everybody but we would now wait for another change of ownership before you go. The chef and his wife are amazing but the dining is no fun with such poor experience!!!! read more

Had Bustan for dinner for the first time! & oh boy was it delicious! Every dish was super refreshing! From the Labaneh (finger-licking good) to the Mediterranean salad, to that fresh warm *right out the oven* bread to that tender- flavorful branzino! Mind-blowing!! Please keep making your dishes homemade style and fresh forever! Will come back for sure read more

Friendly service and good food. Can't complain! Ambiance was great with dimmed lighting and relaxing music. I really enjoyed the lamb kebab dish and the beef kofta. Dessert was not my favorite. Ricotta phyllo with ice cream. Will definitely come back!! read more

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Great food! Love the decor! Service was outstanding. Will definitely go back once Covid is over in 2022!!!

The food here are pretty good, we went there to get lunch. However we were waiting for food for a while as well as other people. We got the happy hour Samosa which should be refill as the glass emptied, we have to wave the glass around a little bit trying to get the attentions. It would be nice if they brought out the complimentary bread while we waiting for food not when we get the food. read more

Had lunch with friends at Bustan today...here are my thoughts: Ambiance is great - we sat in the garden, which was very pretty. The restaurant interior was also quite nice. Service is excellent - our waiter was friendly, funny, and food came out quickly. Food is just okay (hence one star less). -- Complimentary bread and olives were really good. Great presentation. -- Chopped salad with shrimp was adequate but not worth the $20 price tag. -- Omelette was good and the accompanying salad and potatoes were substantial in quantity. Again, nothing extraordinary. -- French toast seemed fine, I didn't try this. -- Burger was large and my daughter polished it off (always a good sign). In terms of food Bustan is just okay (especially in terms of value) but the service and ambiance still justify the 4 stars. I understand Bustan's regular lunch and dinner menu are far better than brunch - I'll definitely return, just not for brunch. read more

Pretty not-great as far as brunch goes. The soft home fries in particular are quite sad. Service was mediocre at best - plates not cleared, zero smiles or small talk, etc. And the decor, while not without its charms, mostly just feels dated, like what a cool restaurant might have looked like in the '90s. Would be two stars but maybe dinner is better. read more

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absolutely Unique food with excellent tastes, i just love it. Nice vibe and good location. also great menu and great flavours. The service was pleasant and efficient. I'll be back for sure! read more

Bustan - The lamb!!!!! Awesome - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Disclaimer: Bustan just switched to a new menu that seems more expensive than before so It's def $$$ This place feels like a neighborhood UWS spot: cozy and filled on a Tuesday night with great food and a local type feel. The environment indoors is flamboyant and eccentric but the outdoor patio is really lovely for a warm summer night. The service was pretty good but the one disappointment was that their beer tap was broken and they only had 1 type of beer in bottle available, something that my dad wasn't too happy with. The wine selection is solid but, again, definitely a little pricey (cheapest bottles $42-50). Appetizers: Hummus, spicy feta, tzatzki, charred octopus, shrimp, baby calamari, falafel, kofta, lamb merguez, and Moroccan cigars: def recommend the feta, falafel, kofta, lamb, and cigars, although everything was great. The best part though is they serve the first 3 with their homemade pita, hot from the oven (ask for extra!) Mains: Lamb Terracotta: highlight of the show, this is what they're known for and for good reasons. Served In basically the same dough as their pita, the lamb is well spiced and delicious. Enough for two people for sure though. Vegetable terracotta: def nowhere near as good as the lamb but a good choice for vegetarians read more

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Delicious Mediterranean food. We had lamb chops, octopus, and shrimp. Everything had a great flavor. Atmosphere was perfect for a Thursday night. Lively, but could hear yourself talk. Would definitely go again! read more

Bustan - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Great place... My husband is a vegetarian so we did not try meat or fish dishes.... our favorite dishes were the smoked eggplant carpaccio, the falafel which may be fava bean comes with a 2 sauces.... if you dip it in the tahini it tastes middle eastern, if you dip it in the mango it metamophoses into a South Asian dish. The bread is phenomenal. The only mediocre dish was the vegetable tagine ... it was a bit too heavy on the root vegetables for me taste read more

Another one of the few rare places that does octopus to perfection, well that's if you're into smokey and tender. This won't tickle your fancy if you're on the crispy boat. Some of the hummus items are overly rich and heavy so this would've been minus 1 star, particularly in a Mediterranean resto where the hummus must speak loudly to compliment the bread and cuisine genre. However the free warm bread, made in house, and tasty salads make up for this. Save room for dessert, I can't believe I've forgone it here in dinners past due to hearty enjoyment of the apps and entrees. The rose water pannacotta is divine and best shared. It is crispy flaky, sandwiched warm ricotta, topped with icecream. This may be the best fall-going-on-to-winter dessert in the city this year, to be nibbled in the outdoor garden under moonlight and by candle side before the chill hits. read more

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Really good food ! Actually one of the better ones in the boring upper west side eateries. But why does this place have a mold smell ? Can't they get rid of it ? They should do something about it. And how can a restaurant smell from MOLD ? Must be something wrong there. read more

What a wonderful gem in NYC! This is now my top favorite Mediterranean restaurant in the city. The food was incredibly tasty and fresh, and even the presentation was amazing! We especially loved the octopus, the fresh taboon bread and hummus were delightful as well. The vibe was warm and cozy, although we sat outdoors due to COVID. The service was professional and personable. We even received desert on the house, called Malabi, it was the highlight of our dinner: I highly recommend getting this dish! We will definitely be back for more! read more

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I agree with everyone about the service being parallel to the food. I am a vegan and found plenty to eat- and was very pleased with what I had. It is a nice atmosphere. I will definitely be back. read more

Great food ..their spreads and bread are delicious..so many choices for vegetarian. I would highly recommend

We went to brunch at Bustan. It is very nice looking bar and restaurant that has a welcoming decor mid-block on Amsterdam. The front of the restaurant is bright as a result of beautiful tall windows. The service was quite good. Everyone was attentive and polite. I ordered the crab benedict over challah and really was not impressed. It was presented beautifully and the quality of the food was not in question, but the hollandaise sauce was without flavor and the crab was an unexciting addition to the mix. I also sampled the french toast that was ordered by another of the people at my table. I felt that it was both fluffy and tasty, which are positive attributes in my mind. I would not recommend Bustan, but I would not dissuade anyone from going. One menu item on one day cannot be the deciding factor, but I am not sure that I will be back. read more

Poor service. We had appetizers for an hour before entrees were served. When we asked about our entrees, the server gave excuses and few updates. After the entrees were served, the eggs in our Green Shakshuka were raw. The manager made a nice gesture in deducting the cost of the Green Shakshuka from the bill, but the server and everyone else were not even the least bit apologetic for the late entrees and uncooked food. Disappointing. read more

Oh great nice and fresh food just cook to perfection. We ordered the vegetable terra-cotta, sth to be missed - even better than the one I had in morroco. The Israel salad is not greasy and not to oniony -also the best dish ever! Mark it read more

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I've never written a Yelp review before, but my boyfriend and I have been to Bustan twice now and we love it so much. The people and service are so great, and the food is amazing. The cabbage and cauliflower appetizer and chicken and fish for main is our favorites. Love everything about this place! read more

Great Food & Service! My girlfriend and I came in quickly before heading to a concert. The service was outstanding across the board - from the hostess who let us know about wait times over the phone, to our waiter Alex who ensured that we were served promptly and helped us decide what to order based on his expertise. The starter sampler was amazing - we highly recommend the hummus and tzatziki. The spicy feta was good as well though the others were to die for. The lamb chops were of the highest quality - salted and seasoned to perfection, juicy, and a mouthful of flavor in every bite. Accompanied by delicious broccoli. The Vegetable Tagine had an excellent presentation and simple yet satisfying flavors. We will definitely be back - among the best options in the area. Perfect for a date or a small group. read more

Lucky me, lucky us that Bustan has such a gracious manager, Nuri. Lucky Bustan. Nuri's care and passion for the restaurant and for everyone who puts their all into it at Bustan, is so genuine. It's fun and easy to be there! Thank you Nuri. The food looked beautiful and that will be on my list for the next visit. But this time, it was all bar. Tenzin the bartender kept us alive. Literally, my friends and I just had a big scare at the Global Citizen Concert and were bruised a bit, soul and knees and in that order. We landed at the perfect place. Shaky and grateful that it wasn't something worse that happened at the event, we all shimmied up to the bar, took a breath and were greeted by Tenzin's smile. Between the warm lighting and his warm glow, I don't know, it just felt danged good. We were safe now. Tenzin served me a Moscow Mule - a perfect mix of that ginger, citrus and vodka served in that luscious sweaty cold copper cup. Writing this, I feel like getting my butt out of my Brooklyn apt and Uber-ing it right back all they way up there. Now. Best Moscow Mule I've ever had. The cocktails he offered were kooky, in a good way, unique and classy. Tenzin was also very patient and gave my friends a few tastes of wines so they'd be happy with their order. Oh and draft beer, it's all me. For next time tho, but they have great selection. Pretty much the bar had it covered. Plus there was a fabulous breeze from the huge open window. And tho it's on Amsterdam, and it was a night to remember, it was surprisingly quiet. Cus of the warm setting, warm bartender and warm Manager, I'm back there in a heartbeat. Dang, them drinks hit the spot! Thank you! read more

We could not have been more pleased with our dinner and experience last night. Celebrated a birthday and we were treated extremely well. Some of our party was running very late, but the restaurant was very understanding. We tried many of the dishes on the menu, and none disappointed. Not even the desserts! A shout out to our waiter, Danny, who made sure we all left happy and full! We will be back for many more family dinners and celebrations, for sure! read more

great atmosphere for lunch or dinner. Their breads--both the pita and the taboon--are phenomenal. Prices are very fair.

Came here with my girlfriends for a happy hour that stretched into dinner. Ordered a significant portion of the menu and we loved everything. The decor is beautiful, eastern meets modern chic. The taboon bread is absolutely divine, humus perfectly tangy creamy and substantial. We also enjoyed vey fresh Greek salad with luscious tomatoes and feta, GRILLED PEACH with ricotta which was divine and surprising, lebneh which I would like more of as I type this review, the batata sweet potato (was expecting to be more like batata hara and fried crisp sweet potatoes but it was ok, healthy), cauliflower (excellent), cabbage (fried with dill yogurt-- surprising and profound) and the fish stew which is a true show stopper. Overall loved every item of food, the quality, balance and presentation. My girlfriend had two expertly crafted martinis and we enjoyed pellie at the table. For dessert we had the Seminolina dish which was such a perfect, interesting (and not too sweet) way to top of an excellent meal. Sexy spot for first or 15th date as much as to hang with the girls. With outdoor backyard! Looks like can accommodate large parties. Will be coming back. Like much more than other Mediterranean spots in the neighbourhood. Warm service as well. A+ read more

Having eaten here several times, I can highly recommend this restaurant. Each time we come, the food is superb. We had the chicken and Bronzino, several breads, and salads last night. Previously, we had tried the octopus and the felafel, as well as the lamb. We've never had a bad meal. No matter how many people we have shared a meal with, and whether they are somewhat young or old (this is not a place I would bring young children), the service has been impeccable. I am updating because there was an attitude a few years ago--no longer though--nothing bad to say at all. Highly recommended dinner. read more

Everything we had was amazing. Service was amazing. Outdoor dining space in the back of gorgeous and comfortable. Staff is top notch.